INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana State Police have canceled the Silver Alert that was issued for three missing Indianapolis juveniles last week.
According to a press release from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Queen Terrell, King Terrell and Frankie Terrell have been located safely. IMPD reported that the children were found by law enforcement in Pearsall, Texas.
The children's parents, 50-year-old Willie Terrell and 31-year-old Jessika Officer (AKA Jessika Terrell), have been detained. Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the Terrell kids' disappearance.
"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the community for your support, tips, and information, which were instrumental in the safe recovery of these children," an IMPD spokesperson wrote in a prepared statement early Wednesday morning.
IMPD and ISP first issued alerts about the missing children last Friday. The reports indicated officers were actively searching for three children: Frankie, Queen and King Terrell. The kids reportedly disappeared around 12:30 p.m. last Thursday with their biological parents — Willie and Jessika Terrell.
Court documents filed Tuesday show that IMPD officers were called around 1 p.m. on July 4 to Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que on Vincennes Road in Indy for an abduction. Officers met with the grandpa of the three children, who said he has custody of the kids and agreed through DCS to have a meal with their biological parents at the restaurant.
However, when the man returned from using the bathroom at the restaurant, he said the children and parents were gone. The man said he had been granted custody of the children out of La Porte County in October 2023. The children's grandfather also claimed Jessika and Willie had taken the kids from the restaurant in a white minivan.
While investigating the abduction, IMPD detectives learned that the children had been taken from Willie and Jessika due to medical neglect where the children were not being fed properly or given their daily required medication.
Detectives ultimately obtained phone numbers for the parents from DCS and then requested "exigent pings" of the cell phones. While pings were initially reported in Louisville and Shreveport, Louisiana, police were later told on July 5 that the numbers were no longer associated with the Terrells.
Then, on Monday, July 8, IMPD received an accurate phone number for Willie that was able to get a one-time ping around 4:15 a.m. in the area of Columbus, Texas. A DCS case manager then told police that she had just talked with Willie and his therapist on a three-way call.
During the call, Willie reportedly told his therapist that the children were "OK" and that they were on their way to Mexico. The DCS worker, who was looped in by Willie's therapist, said the father was 288 miles from Mexico and that he wanted the FBI to investigate why his kids were being taken from him.
On the morning of Tuesday, July 9, Texas authorities helped obtain a ping of Willie's phone that showed he was in Pearsall, Texas, which is 101 miles away from the U.S./Mexico border.
Multiple reports indicate police in Pearsall were involved in a standoff pertaining to the Terell kids' disappearance on Tuesday night. At around 12:20 a.m. Wednesday, ISP canceled the Silver Alert that had been issued for the Terrell kids.
Note: The photos and descriptions of the Terrell kids have been removed from this story in compliance with FOX59/CBS policy.